New Licensure Requirement for Teachers

The General Assembly has passed a new regulation requiring specific first aid training for all teachers. As of July 1, 2013, anyone seeking initial licensure or renewing a teaching license will need to be certified in emergency first aide and CPR. Here’s an excerpt from the original memo:

“Every person seeking initial licensure or renewal of a license shall provide evidence of completion of certification or training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators. The certification or training program shall be based on the current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator, such as a program developed by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. The Board shall provide a waiver for this requirement for any person with a disability whose disability prohibits such person from completing the certification or training….”

This is a very positive movement to equipping our teachers to be ready to respond in emergencies. GCPS is working to schedule the necessary trainings to make this requirement attainable and accessible to our teachers this year.